In this column we deliver you the latest and most interesting online poker industry news from across the world and all platforms.
partypoker screen name changes
Partypoker is once again asking all players to change their screen names. In fact, it is mandatory to do so. The first time the players were asked to change their names was in 2019. This is a strategy to improve the integrity of the game and level the playing field. Players or bots will not be able to use eventually collected data on players to their advantage anymore if all names are changed.
Although partypoker does not allow any tracking or table selection software, this screen name change makes it extra safe for their customers. Sites like Run It Once don’t even use screen names to avoid this issue altogether. If players take part in any WPT or 888poker events on partypoker, their real names will still be used and cannot be changed in the process.
Vadim Soloveychik, partypoker Director, said: “At partypoker, we remain committed to our promise to keep the game fair and safe for all our players and asking players to change their aliases is one of the important measures that will help us do this.”
How often should a poker site have players change their names to allow better security for them? There definitely needs to be a balance as it’s not a nice customer experience to go through this process over and over again.
Dealio Webcam Poker
Another way to improve the integrity of the game, is to make sure you can see your actual opponents at the table, just as in live poker. The use of bots is almost impossible this way. Dealio is a new game platform, championed by poker legend Barry Greenstein, where there will be not just video feeds from the actual players, but also live dealers to make sure the game runs smoothly and penalties are given if players do not stick to the rules.
The Dealio press release says: “One of Dealio’s primary goals is to provide online poker that players can trust in an era where online poker is often plagued with AI-bots and real-time assistance tools that cause players to question who they are really playing against.”
If you have ever played webcam-based poker before, it was always ridiculous to see players point the camera at the ceiling or behave in rude ways. This should not be an issue if an actual dealer is leading the game and enforcing the platform’s rules. But what does this mean for the price, players have to play? Will the rake be out of control in these online games? This question was not answered in the information provided. However, it looks like there will be a crypto/blockchain-based component added to the system, too, to provide even more security.
Flutter Entertainment amongst 2021 Time 100 Most Influential Companies
On the one hand Flutter is still fighting with some U.S. states about long gone PokerStars issues during the Black Friday era, on the other hand, Time Magazine announced the poker industry leader as one of the 100 most influential companies.
A special mention goes to the efforts of legalizing sports betting in different states. Flutter’s U.S. revenue rose by 81% to almost $1 billion. “Nowhere has our growth been more evident than in the U.S.,” says CEO Peter Jackson.
GGPoker’s Software Provider recognized for excellent safety
GGPoker’s software provider, NSUSLAB Korea, has been officially recognized for safety and security when providing online gambling by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). NSUSLAB received an ISO 27001 certificate for information security.
GGPoker keeps improving as a real competitor to the industry leader PokerStars. One big question has often been the security of the site and this certificate is now giving the poker operator important legitimacy.
BetMGM Online Series in Michigan and New Jersey
BetMGM, which is run by the partypoker US Network just announced an extensive online poker series, trying to rival the offerings of PokerStars in the segregated U.S. markets. Both series will take place from 16th to 23rd May with ten events each, but with different schedules.
Both series offer over $300k guarantees across all events. There are no direct Main Events as such, but the Sundays receive some extra love during the series. The biggest event on BetMGM MI and BetMGM NJ will be the $100K GTD 8-Max NLH with a $1060 buy-in on 23rd May, but there are also $20 buy-in events available.
